Saralnama₹200 is the new price for porters to carry goods to ghats during Chhath Puja in Basti, up from ₹100 last year. The festival's festive mood is dampened by a sharp rise in prices. Fruits and puja items now cost nearly double compared to 2022. Bananas sell for ₹40 per dozen, pears at ₹80/kg, custard apples at ₹100/kg, and pomegranates at ₹160/kg. Fruit seller Bablu reports a 40-60% price increase across all fruits. Mohammad Talib, a long-time fruit trader, explains that higher wholesale rates are driving up retail prices. The price hike affects not just fruits and puja items, but also transportation costs to the ghats, putting extra financial pressure on devotees. (Updated 24 Oct 2025, 17:47 IST; source: link)
Key Points
- ₹200 is the new price for porters to carry goods to ghats during Chhath Puja in Basti, up from ₹100 last year
- The festival's festive mood is dampened by a sharp rise in prices
- Fruits and puja items now cost nearly double compared to 2022